The Icelandic government had granted permission to whalers to kill 209 common minke whales and 217 minke whales (or “small rorquals”) from mid-June to September each year until 2029. This decision will save over 400 whales!
While Iceland had reauthorized whale hunting until 2029, the sea giants will ultimately be left in peace this year. The reason: this hunting is no longer profitable for the only active whaling company in Iceland, Hvalur.
Despite a global ban since 1986, commercial whaling is still practiced by Iceland, Norway, and Japan.
In Iceland, whale hunting typically takes place between mid-June and September. This year, Icelandic harpoons will not decimate the cetacean population. Hvalur, the only active whaler in Iceland, has announced it will not hunt whales this summer, marking the second consecutive year without whaling.
Several reasons have been cited: inflation in Japan, where the company sells almost all its stock, changing product prices in the country, and turbulence in global markets due to tariffs.
« As the situation stands, Hvalur hf. sees no other option but to remain docked and wait for better days, but the situation will be reassessed next year, » explained CEO Kristjan Loftsson, as quoted by the media outlet MBL on Friday night.
The Icelandic government had authorized whalers to kill 209 common minke whales and 217 minke whales from mid-June to September, each year until 2029. This decision will save over 400 whales!
51% of Icelanders were opposed to whale hunting in 2023, a nine-point increase over four years, according to a survey.
“It is high time that Iceland’s whaling ships stop permanently staining the sea red – it’s time to impose a complete ban on commercial whaling,” said Wendy Higgins, director of the animal rights organization Humane World for Animals.
Last year, the country suspended hunting for two months following a government investigation that concluded the methods used were not in compliance with animal welfare laws.
Thus, organizations continue to advocate for the permanent end of this deadly practice in the coming years.
